Women over 40! Would love to hear from you!

shawndoss45

Any women over 40 and have found that your life is spinning out of control. No matter how hard you work to lose weight and be fit all you think about is how tired you are! I am a mom, wife, daughter, teacher and daughter in law I wouldn't change my life for anything but I would love to take to other women who feel the same as I do! We need to support each other as much as we can Have a great and fit day! Be Blessed!

breezedaze

Not out of control but that's because I reclaimed control!

Definitely over 40 though! Add me to your friend's list and I'll be happy to keep you going!

rubberbiscuit

I'm 47 and my life WAS spinning out of control, but I'm working hard to getting a handle on it. This is the year that I'm taking care of all the things that I've been ignoring for a long time. Getting my health back, getting my finances better organized, eliminating a lot of stress and anxiety, and working on my state of mind. I'm also a wife, mom, daughter, daughter in law. Not a teacher though, I'm a municipal office worker (Board of Health and Building Department). In the long-term, I have over 100 pounds to lose. Feel free to add me.

deb3129

I am almost 42. I thought my life was out of controll, but then I took control. I have 4 kids, a full time job running a 911 center, and a hubby! So I understand busy! 7 months ago I weighed 338 pounds, had no energy, and it was hard to drag myself out of bed every morning. Now I am 238 pounds, I have a ton of energy, and I am once again enjoying my life! It can be done. 40 is not that old! Since I started eating right and working out, I have more energy to do things. I used to be completely wiped out by the time I got home at the end of the day, and still had to do dinner, help kids with homework, etc. But now I do all of that and still fit in time to work out, and still feel good!

ThinVee

I'm 42 and like many others here I've watched the weight gain creep up over the years and also like many others, I've realized that the older you get the harder it is to get rid of it. While a small part of that is metabolism, I know in my heart that my lifestyle choices have been robbing me of the energy I need to keep up with my life.

Being this heavy and out of shape, I've been suffering more injuries and 'aches and pains' which I'm too young to be experiencing. I've got lots of years ahead of me and I want to be healthy, strong and fit to enjoy them. Mentally and spiritually I feel strong, fit and fabulous - now I just need the body to match!

Between families, careers, and our own personal goals - its no wonder we get tired. Let's all remind each other to take of ourselves first though so we can keep juggling the rest!

TinaCleg

Wow this sounds a lot like me, work full-time, keep up the house and the yard and help my son with homework. My husband is working out of state so it's all on me. Some how I come last and that is where my diet and excercise is effected. I am used to being the responsible one and the "go to girl."

shawndoss45

I have added you! Thanks for your encouragement!

rrneal625

45 in a couple of weeks, anyone feel free to add me....I'm on every day!:flowerforyou:

shawndoss45

I added you! I'm excited we can help each other along!

THuffman1967

45, work from home, mom of two boys, wife, daughter, d-i-law. 10 pounds to go!!! Sending a friend request.

janeelizabethhoff

Hi, Im 49 and am just starting the journey of getting my life back in control. I have 5 kids, 3 grandkids, a wonderful husband and I have my own tax/accounting business. Right now I am doing good sticking with the work-outs and journaling, but when tax season hits in a couple more months, I'm worried! Could use the support as well, especially Jan through April!

RunnerBlonde808

Heya! I'm just a bit over 40 (41) but my life was out of control until a few years ago when I decided enough was enough. I took charge of it again and haven't looked back. I also have 4 kids and a full time job. Sometimes it's a struggle to work the exercise in. But I have decided i need to take care of myself now so I can be around for them later.

I used to turn to food when I was stressed and now I turn to running. That is now my passion instead of sweets! lol.

IslandRider

51, and finally in a good place in my life. Just joined after my daughter adn future daughter-in-law told me about MFP, and really like it so far. I plan to be on every day, so if anyone would like to, feel free to add me.

KanBrit

Hi.. Turned 45 this week. Did good for awhile. worked hard for 6 months lost 21 pounds. But then I became discouraged. I have 2 girls both looking for work but not finding it. A husband who is bi-polar and it seems like I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. So I gave up and gained all my weight back. I figured no one cares if I am fat so why should I. But I do care I am uncomfortable and unhealthy and I really want to feel good about me. So I am beginning my journey again and can really use the support.

cbendorf13

41, felt very similar this summer, decided to make the changes I needed to for me. Life is still hectic - full time job that pays part time, mom of 4, son and husband with Aspergers. It was time for me to be healthy to keep everything going - still dropping some of the balls I am trying to juggle, but I feel better about myself and my health. Feel free to add me.

californiagirl2012

Any women over 40 and have found that your life is spinning out of control. No matter how hard you work to lose weight and be fit all you think about is how tired you are! I am a mom, wife, daughter, teacher and daughter in law I wouldn't change my life for anything but I would love to take to other women who feel the same as I do! We need to support each other as much as we can Have a great and fit day! Be Blessed!

Well you be blessed too! Anyone can do this at any age. There really is no mystery. I used to think my metabolism was broken, low thyroid, adrenal fatigue, menopause, stress (well stress is certainly a factor in managing hunger hormones). I did the frustrating diet yo-yo for 15 years and finally achieved my dream at age 50 and have been maintaining for over a hear now (I'm almost 52). I finally realize thyroid medicine and everything else to address my myriad of age related health issues were not a magic pill. It all comes down to calories for weight loss and exercise for building your lean body mass (especially weight lifting). You cannot out exercise too many calories.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.

Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.

Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.

If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.

My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

All I can do is share what worked for me. I achieved my goal at age 50 after beating my head against the wall for 15 years. Yeah anyone can do it, but I can tell you that you are up against a lot when you are older and I believe females have some unique issue to face with hormones and such. The sooner you can get a handle on it the better. DO NOT GIVE UP. As I got older and the weight piled on (and I didn't feel I was eating too much!) everyone kept telling me to give up, this is what happens when you get older. I'm small, and I didn't realize how small I was until I lost the weight. Everyone said I had big bones. I looked hefty because I worked out. Once I lost the weight I realized how small I really was and that small people don't need to eat as much as big people. HINT: If you are short you are probably small.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

kmccormick42

I'm 45 and this has been a difficult year for me on some personal levels, but I have muddled through with a lot of support from friends & family. I also work fulltime and my son just started middle school this year so his homework volume has increased. I pray & exercise a lot (sometimes simultaneously while I'm on my treadmill!) and that seems to have helped w/ my stress level. I finally feel like I'm getting myself back together and MFP has been a big help in letting me actually see what I'm eating and how it affects my weight & fitness. It has helped my confidence to realize that I can lose weight and feel better without having to resort to pre-packeged weight loss plans or shakes. I eat real food - pretty much whatever I want - I just track it and try to practice moderation. Feel free to add me as a friend.

joybedford

Hi am 41 and felt/ feel just like you. I have 3 kids 2 with special needs a full time job working mainly nights, a husband who tries but really struggles to cope with our hectic life. I rarely get enough sleep and run from one drama to the next. Since losing weight and more importantly working out I am better able to cope with life's stresses, life is still crazy but I have more energy and I am in a good place right now. Add me as a friend and we can encourage each other.

shawndoss45

I am so excited to hear from everyone! I am determined to feel better, yes I want to lose 20 lbs but my ultimate goal is to feel better and have more energy. I have been to a hormone doctor and they have given me supplements and I'm not sure how I feel about them yet. My levels were way down. I am going to start going to Zumba next week, does anyone have any ideas about this? I have done Jazzercise for many years but I am kinda getting bored with it. Also, I wanted to ask everyone, have you ever done anything with Hungry Girl? I have a couple of her cookbooks and they are very low calorie and delicious. I think I'm going to get back into it. I'm excited about this. I think we can help each other! Let's do this girls!

lenniebus

I'm 42, and work full time, have two VERY busy kids, a fabulous husband...and yes, it is hard to find time for me. The last five years, I out ate all the good I did exercising...I'm glad I did exercise or I fear I'd be GINORMOUS. Would love to connect and support other working moms out there...

Helen

lttappenn

I am over 40 and life is soooo busy and full I can hardly believe it. It is hard to find time for myself, but I demand it sometimes. I just started here on MFP about 5 weeks ago and have lost 7.5 lbs so far. I haven't started exercising yet, just changed my eating habits and track everything that I eat here. It helps tremendously! I plan to start exercising tonight. I need to make some space for it in my schedule and I need to be careful so that I don't re-injure my back (did that this spring). I have 2 wonderful daughters that are also very busy with 4-H, breeding and showing rabbits, violin, soccer, etc. I have a great hubby, but he isn't very much of a cleaner so I feel like all of that falls on me. I am also trying to teach the rest of the family to eat healthier and move more. We all went kayaking this weekend and had a great time! I look forward to a new, healthy lifestyle for the whole family!